Method of making counters



Jan. 17,1928; v 1,656,234 c. PETERSON f METHOD 'OF MAKING- COUNTERS 'FiledffJul 2 Sheets-Sheeti ,c, METHOD F le A PETERSON I OF MAKING COUNTERS 1' d J l ge. 1926 Jan. 17, 192.8.

2 Sheets-Sheet 3' I -I'NVENTOR.,

J w l ATTORNEY."

Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

( UNITED;

PATENT OFFICE.

OLAYTONA. PETERSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR, TO SPAULI JING U FIBRE COMPANY, INC., 02' NORTH ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION on NEW HAMPSHIRE.

' Application filed July 26,

T his invention relates to the .metliod' of making moulded counters forboots and shoes of the type having a forward wing at. the inner side, at least, which overlaps, to

5 a greater or less degree, the contour of the last at its inside shank or at the instep of the foot of the wearer of the shoe.

Heretofore counters of the type described have been assembled with the sole andupper materials on the last while in the condition as delivered from the usual counter-mould ing machine, that is,,with no definite shap- .ing of the forward wing in a manner to fit the inside shank portion of the last which to the stiffness of the counter material, with the result that there is no certainty that even the two shoes of the same pair will look or feel alike throughout the instep after completion. This is'not fine shoemaking.

so By ractisin the method of the present invention the s oemaker is assured that all wing counters for any size or style will, without further conformation by lasting, accurately fit the inside shank of the last for an that size or style at the time of assembly.

This means that the style of the shoefas meant to be determined by the design of the last, will be preserved and perpetuated when the shoemaking process is completed. This 40 perfection of the shoemaking process has been much desired and long sought .but its full efl'ect in quantity production has never been attained until this invention was conceived and practised. v

The object of the present invention is to improve the manufacture of counters in such manner as to elimlnutc the necessity of shap mg the counter to the last during the lasting operation thereby OVGICOIIliIlg the defects in,

the completed shoe due to an improper moulding, shaping or positioning of the counter, or a portion thereof.

To the accomplishment of this object the,

invention consists in the method of making mrrnon or MAKING ooun'rnns.

1926. Serial No. 125,004.

counters, the preferredmanner of-practising which is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims; i An understanding ofthe invention will be assisted by reference to the accompanying." drawing, in which: I

' Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, of lower and upper male and female moulds respectively, for moulding the forward wings of counters of the type hereinbefore described. These two moulds are shown in open relationas mounted in any suitable type of moulding press;

Fig. 2 is a front end view of the lower mould; Fig. 3 is a view, in side elevation, of the lower mould viewed from .the heel-seat side,

having an incompletely moulded wing counthis invention.

In making the counter a rolled and crimped, or clamshell, counter blank is prepared by the usual processes. This blank is then introduced to a counter-moulding machineof any approved type but which, preferably,

may be the type of machine disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States to R. A.

Lancey, No. 1,138,123, dated-May 4, 1915.

This machineoperates to bend and press the blank, while in temper, over an inner mould block shaped like the heel end of the last for the particular size and style of the shoe in which the counter is to be used and presenting its heel end uppermost, and thereafter the lower margin of the moulde blank is wiped inward to produce a h l-seat flange. The blank being operated u on, it should be understood, is of the-type having a'forwardly extending wing at? side, but this wing may 1 0t be a}. ,L'd upon by either the heel end moulds or tli wi er of the counter-moulding machine, ifena er may still be merely in its rolled state with a substantiallystr-aightdower edge. The

' moulds do not produce a wing having the Ill been little used in the shoes.

form and shape of the instep portion of the last. Prior to this invention quantity production of wing countersin any other form. than with an incompletely moulded wing could'not be obtained, with the result that the laster must attempt to unbuckle the forward wing and draw it snugly to the contour of the instep portion of the last While he is lasting the upper. In this but little success was attained and the wing counter, although highly desirable, has heretofore manufacture of line By practising the method of the present invention the moulding of wing counters is successfully and accurately accomplished, with the result that this highly important adjunct of fine shoemakin isnow available insuch a form that its use materially aids instead of detracts from the style trim of fine shoes. t

In completing thecounter-moulding process the partially moulded wing counter is preferably, but not necessarily, placed in a second counter-mouldin machine having a lower, male mould bloch 10 the surface of which is shaped like the heel and instep portions of the last with which the particular counter is to be assembled, and an up er, female mould block 12 the pressure sur ace 14 of which is complemental to the conformation or contour of the inste portion or moulding face 16 of the mould lilock 10. A novel and important feature of the invention resides in the position that the mould block 10 assumes in the moulding machine and the consequent relation of the mold block 12 thereto. 1

The mould block 10 may have formed thereon a base plate 17 designed to be bolted, or otherwise suitably secured, to'a horizontal bed on the moulding machine. The relation of the mould block 10 to the plane of its base plate.17 is of the greatest importance. The setting must be such that there can be no slippage of the forward wing to be moulded, from its true relation to the previously moulded heel end of the counter. Accord- 'ingly the mould block 10 isset on its base below pressure surface 14.0f the upper mould block 12 and thus form a bending ridge or backbone about which the wing is shaped.

The wing is adapted to extend between the moulding faces Hand 16 and above and on both sides of the instep ridge 22.

The partiall 'moulded. counter 24 is fitted onthe heel en of the mould block 10 which accurately defines and maintains the position of thewing relative to the instep portion of said block and, because of the oblique setting of its heel-seat face, holds the wing in a substantially horizontal plane, as illustrated in Fig. 3. It will be observed that the wing 26 stands away from the instep surface 16 of the male mould block although the moulded heel end of the counter is supported. by the heel end of said mould block. Fig. 4; also illustrates this condition, and shows more plainly the relation at this time of the wing 26 to the instep ridge 22. It will be observed tliatpthe instep ridge lies, generally, centrally below the wing 26 as it extends over the upper face of the male mould block. Now,-

on bringing themould block 12 down vertically into counter wingfmoulding relation to the mould block 10, the female moulding face 14 will engage the two margins of the wing 26, first bending them downward at either side of the instep ridge 22 and finally, when the female instep mould face 14 seats upon the male instep mould face 16, pressing and shaping the entire wing to the contour of the instep as defingd by these two mould faces (see Fig. 5). he preliminary ridge engagement enables the wing 26 to retain its position relative to the heel end while being shaped in accordance with the contour of the instep which it bverlaps. Thus a moulded wing is produced that, upon assembly'of the counter on its last, will be preshaped to the contour of the instep of the last and will require no manipulation during the lasting operation to bring it into the position requisite to maintain and perpetuate the beauty of the design of the last in the completed shoe.

Fig.6 illustrates a wing counter 28 for mens and womens shoes that is a product of the method of manufacture herein described.

It will be observed that the heel-seat flange is perfectly formed and thatthe contour of the instep of the last at the inside'shank has 'been permanently impressed into the forward wing 26 without distortionthereof and without any change or shift from its true position relative to the heel end of the-counter that must be retained for perfect shocmaking. The secret of this lies in the discovery of how to holdthe wing 26 in the correct position between the mould blocks.10 and 12 during the wing moulding step of the. process to prevent slipping. The heel. end of the mould block 10 provides a support that will present and hold the wing in proper relation to the contour. of the instep portion ofv said block that isto determine its moulded shape and, because said block is set angular- -be held without slip throughout the mould till process in its true relation to the heel jen of the counter.

Fig. 7 illustrates a wing counter 30 for Women s pumps having its forward instep wing 26 moulded by the method of this invention. In fitting. this style of counter on the mould block 10 the extra long outer side is taken care of by suitably recessing the base plate 17. When the methodof manufacture as hereinbefore described is practised there results a pro-formed counter, of the type having an inner wing that extends forwardly suitioiently to overlap the inside shank of the last, that'can be lasted without the necessity of any change in form or position, and when "sewedto the insole will permanently preserve the style lines of the shoe at the insidesha-nk that originate in the design of the last on which the shoe is built. The type of counter, described has the further function, when moulded throughout its en tire surface in accordance'with the teaching of this invention, of providing in the shoe an instep support of such contour and permanency as to give material aid to the sup port of weakened longitudinal arches and consequent relief to those suffering from flatioot.

During the preceding description, and in the following claims, it has been convenient to employ various terms denoting direction of movement, position and the like, but it is to be understood that these terms are not expressive of any characteristic features of the invention, as it is the relative arrange ment of the parts alone which is of importance. 1

Having thus described the nature of the invention and the preferred method of practismg it, it is definitely stated in its true scope in the following claims.

What is claimed as new, is':-

l. The method of making pie-formed wing counters, for fitting the heel end and that portion oi the inside shank of the last overlapped by said wing, which comprises meuiding the counter by pressure directed the sides ot' its heel end, and by pressure directed on the wing forward of the heel end from direction that is obli no to 1 direction cit thepressure for men da heat end.

i e method. oi melting counters of the an i her wing, which comprises a of a wing type counheel end of a last by W in the direction of the ,moulding a counter blank to fit the heel end plane of the heel-seat of the counter, and moulding another portion of sald blank comprising the wing to fit the inside shank of the last by pressure in a direction that 15 oblique to the plane of said heel-seat.

The method of making counters of the type having an inner wing that extends forwardly from the heel portion, which comprises moulding a portion of a wing type counter blank to fit the heel end of a last leaving a substantially unmoulded wing at the inner side of said moulded portion, and then nioulding saidwing to a curved form to fit the instep contour of said last which it overlaps by downward pressure on said wing while it is held in a substantially horizontal plane.

4. The method of making counters of the type having an inner wing, which comprises of a last leaving a substantially unmoulded.

wing at the inner side, and then moulding said wing to fit the instep portion ofsaid last which it overlaps by an engagement of both-margins'of said wingand a bending and shaping thereof into engagement with the surfaces at either side of the instep ridge whereby said ridge forms a centrally located. backbone for retaining said wing in its true position relative to the moulded heel end during the wing moulding. step.

5. The method of makingcounters. of the type having an inner wing, which comprises moulding a' counter blank. to fit the heel end of a last while said blank is held upon a heel end mould block leaving a substantially unmoulded wing at the inner side of said counter, and then moulding said wing to fit the instep of said last while said blank is held upon a mould block having an instep moulding face which presents the ridge of said instep uppermost.

6., That step in the method of moulding counters having a forwardly extending inner wing adapted to overlap the instep portion of the last which consists in applying moulding pressure to said wing in the direction of the ridge which demarks the instep and arch surfaces of the last. 7

7. The method of making counters having an inner wing which overlaps the instep por-' tion of the last, which comprises moulding the heel portion of a wing type counter blank to. fit the heel end of the last, and then mouldingthe wing portion of said blank to fit the instep portion of the last while said moulded heel end is supported upon an internal'suppcrt which accurately defines and maintains the position of said wing portion.

8. The method of making counters having an inner wing which overlaps the instep por-- tion of the last, which comprises moulding one portion of a. wing type counter blank between mould blocks designed to shape said portion to fit the heel and. hi. the last leaving 130 row the wing portion substantially un'rnoulded, then supporting said partially moulded counter on a mould block having an instep portion that is of the same shape as the instep portion of the last, said last named -mould block also having a heel end shaped to support the moulded heel end of ,the

- counter and to hold the wing portion in rwing type counters to a shape thatwill fit the contour of boththe heel end. of the last and that portion of the instep which is' over-- lapped by the forwardly extending wing,

El) which includes the steps of first moulding .the heel portion of the blank by pressure between surfaces shaped to impress the contour of the heelend of the last therein, and thereafter moulding the win ortion of the blank forward of the'moulrfed heel portion by pressure between surfaces shaped to impress the contourfof the inste portion of the Last therein while maintaining the same relation of said wingport-ion to the moulded heel portion of the blank that the portion of the instep of the last which it overlaps bearst'o the heel end of the last. 7

10. The method of moulding a counter having a, wing extens on which comprises first moulding, the heel port-ion to shape and thereafter moulding thewing portion to shape while the heel portion is supported upon an internalheel-shaped support.

CLAYTON A. PETERSON. 

